Zonal Drift Research Articles

First Zonal Drift Velocity Measurement of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs) From a Geostationary Orbit Using GOLD Data

AbstractThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Global‐scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) satellite takes far‐ultraviolet images of the Earth from geostationary orbit. GOLD observes the complete structure of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs). Since there are repeated observations of the same regions of the Earth, the zonal drift velocities of EPBs are derived using GOLD data. EPBs observed within 60–25°W longitudes on 27–29 November 2018 are considered in the present analysis. The drift velocities obtained on 27 November 2018 are 116 ± 4, 118 ± 6, and 105 ± 9 m/s at the North and South crests of equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) and the magnetic equator, respectively. While on 29 November the velocities 107 ± 10, 106 ± 8, and 110 ± 4 m/s are in agreement with the 27th (within the uncertainties), on 28 November the velocities are substantially lower: 80 ± 3, 95 ± 7, and 88 ± 11 m/s. This is the first simultaneous measurement of EPB zonal drift velocities at both crests of EIA and the magnetic equator. On 27–29 November 2018, the average spacing between adjacent EPBs is found to be ~377, 526, and 442 km, respectively.

Assimilation of GNSS Measurements for Estimation of High‐Latitude Convection Processes

AbstractGeomagnetic storms produce significant electrodynamics at midlatitudes. Strong ion convection can affect thermospheric neutral wind motion. The converse is also true, such that both fields and winds can drive ionospheric plasma movement. This work adjusts a background modeled high‐latitude electrostatic potential to estimate the storm time electric field based on data‐derived plasma densities and measurements of neutral wind. Electron densities are derived from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) total electron content measurements using Ionospheric Data Assimilation Four‐Dimensional (IDA4D). These are input to Estimating Model Parameters from Ionospheric Reverse Engineering (EMPIRE) to estimate electric potential corrections to the background Weimer 2000 potential model. The EMPIRE basis functions for electric potential are spherical harmonics in dipole magnetic colatitude and longitude, enforced to be constant along a magnetic field line. For the 17 March 2015 storm, EMPIRE electric potential produces westward zonal ion drifts that more closely agree with incoherent scatter radar (ISR) measurements made at Millstone Hill than the background Weimer 2000 model alone, when electric potential and meridional neutral winds are both corrected. Additionally ingesting northward line‐of‐sight neutral wind measurements from a Fabry‐Perot interferometer at Millstone Hill makes little difference in the agreement between zonal ion drift predictions and measurements. Estimation of only electric potential reduces the agreement between the assimilated prediction of the field‐perpendicular zonal drifts and ISR measurements significantly.

All-Sky Imager Observations of the Latitudinal Extent and Zonal Motion of Magnetically Conjugate 630.0 nm Airglow Depletions

630.0 nm all-sky imaging data are used to detect airglow depletions associated with equatorial spread F. Pairs of imagers located at geomagnetically conjugate locations in the American sector at low and mid-latitudes provide information on the occurrence rate and zonal motion of airglow depletions. Airglow depletions are seen extending to magnetic latitudes as high as 25°. An asymmetric extension is observed with structures in the northern hemisphere reaching higher latitudes. By tracking the zonal motion of airglow depletions, zonal plasma drifts in the thermosphere can be inferred and their simultaneous behavior in both hemispheres investigated. Case studies using El Leoncito and Mercedes imagers in the southern hemisphere, and the respective magnetically conjugate imagers at Villa de Leyva and Arecibo, provide consistent evidence of the influence of the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly on the dynamics and characteristics of the thermosphere–ionosphere system at low and mid-latitudes.

Equatorial Plasma Bubble Zonal Drift Velocity Variations in Response to Season, Local Time, and Solar Activity across Southeast Asia

AbstractThis work investigated the zonal drift velocity, VE, of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) which was calculated from the zonal keogram of the rate of total electron content index obtained using the Global Positioning System data from the Malaysia Real‐Time Kinematics GNSS Network over Southeast Asia across the period 2008 until 2013 (498 nights). In general, a long‐term study on the VE of EPBs and its dependence on the season, local time, and solar activity over Southeast Asia by using Global Positioning System multipoint receivers has never been conducted before. The case study showed that the VE estimated from Malaysia Real‐Time Kinematics GNSS Network was basically within a similar range to that of the 630‐nm airglow images obtained at Kototabang, Indonesia. Furthermore, the VE of EPBs was higher during high solar‐activity period, which was in line with past studies. The time range of the EPB VE peak is more accurately determined compared to previous studies. In high solar activity conditions, a peak of VE was observed at 2130 LT (equinox), 2200 LT (June solstice), and after 2300 LT (December solstice). After this peak, the EPB VE steadily decreased with time during the equinox and was varied throughout the night during June solstice. Moreover, it was found to differ with time from the evening to the postmidnight period during December solstice.

Time of evening zonal drift reversal in F- region and its implications for post sunset ionosphere

The study analyses the delayed occurrence of the F- region ionospheric manifestations like peak vertical drift and Equatorial Spread F onset in summer solstice of low solar activity years, using the ionosonde data at the magnetic equatorial station Trivandrum (8.5° N, 76.9° E) and Republic of China Satellite-1 data. The analysis reveals the unambiguous role of the time of ionospheric F- region zonal plasma drift/wind reversal in modifying the above-mentioned phenomena. The direct control of equatorial Spread F onset by the F- region drift/wind reversal is clearly established on a day-to-day basis in summer season. The role of the time of zonal wind/drift reversal in modulating the ESF onset is examined quantitatively by exploring its effect on the growth rate of Rayleigh - Taylor instability. Further, the study brings out the solar activity variation of the time of F- region zonal plasma drift/wind reversal for all seasons. The results highlight the need to have systematic neutral wind measurements to better address the enigmatic and multi-dimensional problem of equatorial Spread F day-to-day variability.

Mean Zonal Drift Velocities of Plasma Bubbles Estimated from Keograms of Nightglow All-Sky Images from the Brazilian Sector

We present in this work a method for estimation of equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) mean zonal drift velocities using keograms generated from images of the OI 6300.0 nm nightglow emission collected from an equatorial station–Cariri (7.4° S, 36.5° W), and a mid-latitude station–Cachoeira Paulista (22.7° S, 45° W), both in the Brazilian sector. The mean zonal drift velocities were estimated for 239 events recorded from 2000 to 2003 in Cariri, and for 56 events recorded over Cachoeira Paulista from 1998 to 2000. It was found that EPB zonal drift velocities are smaller (≈60 ms−1) for events occurring later in the night compared to those occurring earlier (≈150 ms−1). The decreasing rate of the zonal drift velocity is ≈10 ms−1/h. We have also found that, in general, bubble events appearing first in the west-most region of the keograms are faster than those appearing first in the east-most region. Larger zonal drift velocities occur from 19 to 23 LT in a longitude range from −37° to −33°, which shows that the keogram method can be used to describe vertical gradients in the thermospheric wind, assuming that the EPBs drift eastward with the zonal wind. The method of velocity estimation using keograms compares favorably against the mosaic method developed by Arruda, D.C.S, 2005, but the standard deviation of the residuals for the zonal drift velocities from the two methods is not small (≈15 ms−1).

Equatorial Plasma Bubbles: Variation of the Longitudinal Distribution with Altitude

The equatorial plasma “bubbles” that form at the bottom-side of the F-layer are affected by zonal plasma drift when they rise to greater altitudes. Under the influence of the drift, the bubbles move eastward. Conversely, a plasma bubble that is “stretched” along a magnetic flux tube repeats its spatial course. For example, a change in the magnetic declination of a flux tube will result in a change in the longitudinal orientation of the bubble. Bubbles undergo an eastward shift in regions with an eastern magnetic declination and a westward shift in regions with a western magnetic declination. The character of the influence of these factors has been studied on the examples of the longitudinal distributions of the equatorial plasma bubbles calculated for the winter and spring periods. For this purpose, the data from the ISS-b, AE-E, OGO-6, ROCSAT-1, and Hinotori satellites obtained in the years of high solar activity at the different orbital altitudes were used. It was found that the bubbles detected at the altitudes of ~972–1220 km in the 0°–50° DIPLAT band follow the course of the magnetic declination of the flux tube, experiencing almost no influence of the zonal plasma drift. The bubbles detected at the altitudes of ~300–700 km within ±20° DIPLAT were found to be strongly influenced by the eastward zonal drift. The magnetic declination only controls the magnitude of their shift in the east direction.

Automated power spectrum analysis of low-latitude ionospheric scintillations recorded using software GNSS receiver

The impact of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) on signals from navigation satellites has remained unpredictable. EPBs could be tracked to some extent with prior knowledge of zonal drift and other important parameters associated with scintillations for a given local time. Aiming for this, we analyze high-rate carrier-to-noise (C/N0) GPS L1 signals recorded using a software GNSS receiver during February–April 2015. In the absence of an automated algorithm in this domain, a new algorithm is developed for estimation of power spectra, Fresnel frequency, noise floor, spectral slope, and ionospheric zonal irregularity drift using per minute scintillation patches. Importantly, since multipath and scintillation can co-occur at lower elevation angles, a new criterion for multipath identification and separation from scintillation and fading is defined as part of the automated algorithm. The C/N0 data above the threshold value of 0.17 of the scintillation index (S4) are only considered by this algorithm. Details of the approach and method are presented with example sets. Results for the estimated zonal drifts, spectral index, and decorrelation length of the post-sunset irregularities are illustrated. Variations in these parameters are presented along with local time, latitude, and longitude of the ionospheric pierce points. The drastic variations that a GPS user and a forecaster would encounter in equatorial latitudes are explained in terms of the challenge they pose. This study is probably the first in terms of automation of the process that shall be highly useful for single-station scintillation observations.

Long‐Lasting Penetration Electric Fields during Geomagnetic Storms: Observations and Mechanisms

AbstractPenetration electric fields originating from the solar wind/magnetosphere, shielding electric fields produced by the Region 2 field‐aligned currents, and disturbance dynamo electric fields produced by disturbance neutral winds are the major disturbance electric fields in the middle‐ and low‐latitude ionosphere during geomagnetic storms. Understanding the interplay of electric fields from different sources is critical for understanding storm time ionospheric electrodynamics. In this study, we analyze ionospheric data measured by five Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites in the dusk‐evening sector during a magnetic storm. A peculiar feature in this case is that the vertical ion drift was enhanced in the upward direction by up to 180 m/s, corresponding to the occurrence of an eastward penetration electric field in the equatorial ionosphere, for 14 hr, including 3 hr of the storm main phase and the first 11 hr of the recovery phase. The variations of other ionospheric parameters (the ion density, ion composition, electron temperature, and zonal drift) were well correlated with the variation of the vertical ion drifts, providing further evidence of prolonged penetration electric fields. Observations of short‐lived penetration electric fields are also presented, and the causes for short‐lived penetration electric fields are discussed. Important issues on the shielding effects are addressed. Scenarios for occurrence of long‐lasting penetration electric fields are proposed. Some outstanding problems associated with penetration electric fields are listed for future studies.

Observation of seasonal asymmetry in the range spread F occurrence at different longitudes during low and moderate solar activity

Abstract. A comparative study of the equatorial spread F occurrence was conducted at different longitudes during 2010 and 2013 representing the low (LSA) and moderate (MSA) solar activity periods respectively. The ionogram data were recorded at low-latitude stations including Jicamarca (JIC;75.76∘ W, 8.17∘ S), Fortaleza (FZA; 38.52∘ W, 3.73∘ S), Ilorin (ILR; 7.55∘ E, 9.93∘ N), Chumphon (CPN; 88.46∘ E, 11∘ N) and Kwajalein (KWA; 167.73∘ E, 8.72∘ N). The range type spread F (RSF) occurrence was manually recorded at an hourly interval between 18:00 and 06:00 LT, and a monthly average of the RSF occurrence was estimated for each season. The longitudinal distribution of the RSF occurrence features included the observed difference in the onset time, the duration and the seasonal occurrence peak. The seasonal asymmetry in the RSF occurrence distribution was analysed in relation to the zonal drift reversal’s effect on the plasma irregularity initiation. We believe that the inconsistent equinoctial asymmetry pattern in the RSF occurrence is modulated by the seasonal/longitudinal variation of the zonal drift reversal delay during both solar epochs. Likewise, the seeding effect and the background ionospheric condition were also considered as major factors influencing the frequency of irregularity generation in these regions.

Ionospheric Plasma Bubble Zonal Drift Derived From Total Electron Content Measurements

AbstractEquatorial plasma bubbles consist of field‐aligned large‐scale depletions, or irregularities, characterized by drastic ion density rarefactions of the nocturnal low latitude/equatorial ionosphere. Understanding their behavior is important because of their degrading effects on radio wave signals and, consequently, their respective technological applications such as, for example, Global Positioning System applications. In this sense, a methodology of pattern recognition was developed and implemented here using the Long‐Term Ionospheric Anomaly Monitoring in order to infer the plasma bubbles zonal drift velocities, using two receiving stations of global navigation satellite systems data from the Brazilian Continuous Monitoring Network, located near to each other, in Salvador (BA) during geomagnetically quiet periods. The study covered the years of 2012, 2013, and 2014 for the months from September to January of the following year, choosing 10 representative days for each month. The average results for the plasma bubble zonal velocities provided by the model calculations were in agreement with the well‐known values. However, monthly individual analysis showed a behavior anticorrelated with that expected for high solar flux. Probably, the unexpected behavior is due to atypical configuration of the solar activity ascending phase.

VHF Scintillation and Drift Studied Using Spaced Receivers in Southern Taiwan

AbstractA statistical study of the occurrence and drift characteristics of Very High Frequency (VHF) amplitude scintillations during 2015–2017 based on the observations of recently installed spaced receiver system at Pingtung in Southern Taiwan is presented in this paper. Drift characteristics during quiet periods have been examined in details and compared with the drift recorded during 08 September 2017 geomagnetic storm. Analysis of the recorded observations indicated a strong dependence of VHF scintillation on the solar activity level. Equinoctial asymmetry in the occurrence of VHF scintillation was seen in 2015 and 2016. However, such asymmetry was not apparent in 2017 (low solar flux). Quiet period spaced receiver drift indicated a gradual reduction in the zonal drift of irregularities between postsunset and postmidnight period. Intriguingly, the average quiet period drift of irregularities was found to be independent of solar activity level. A few investigations in recent past have already reported similar observations and can be generally attributed to the polarization process inside equatorial plasma bubbles; however, a definite explanation for this behavior is not available. During the active phase of the 08 September 2017 geomagnetic storm, a complex interplay of disturbance dynamo and prompt penetration electric field was observed in the spaced receiver derived drift velocity of ionospheric irregularities. Approximately −200% deviation from quiet period drift was observed during this moderate storm. A significant enhancement to the spaced receiver derived characteristic random velocity, Vc, was also seen during the active phase of storm, which indicates that the drift of irregularities was highly turbulent.

Radar Studies of Height‐Dependent Equatorial F region Vertical and Zonal Plasma Drifts

AbstractWe present the results of an analysis of long‐term measurements of ionospheric F region E × B plasma drifts in the American/Peruvian sector. The analysis used observations made between 1986 and 2017 by the incoherent scatter radar of the Jicamarca Radio Observatory. Unlike previous studies, we analyzed both vertical and zonal components of the plasma drifts to derive the geomagnetically quiet time climatological variation of the drifts as a function of height and local time. We determine the average behavior of the height profiles of the drifts for different seasons and distinct solar flux conditions. Our results show good agreement with previous height‐averaged climatological results of vertical and zonal plasma drifts, despite that they are obtained from different sets of measurements. More importantly, our results quantify average height variations in the drifts. The results show, for example, the solar flux control over the height variation of the vertical drifts. The results also show the weak dependence of the daytime zonal drift profiles on solar and seasonal variations. We quantify the effects of seasonal and solar flux variations on the morphology of the vertical shear in the zonal plasma drifts associated with the evening plasma vortex. Assuming interchangeability between local time and longitude, we tested the curl‐free condition for the F region electric fields with very good results for all seasons and solar flux conditions. We envision the use of our results to aid numerical modeling of ionospheric electrodynamics and structuring and to assist with the interpretation of satellite observations of low‐latitude plasma drifts.

Comparison of equatorial plasma bubble zonal drifts and neutral winds velocity over Southeast Asia

The purpose of the presented study is to investigate the zonal drifts of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPB) which applied two different ground-based instruments. Malaysia Real–Time Kinematics GNSS Network (MyRTKnet), consists more than 78 GPS receivers was used to observe EPB along 96° East to 120° East longitudes. Subsequently, zonal drift of EPBs derived from GPS-ROTI is compared with neutral winds velocity from Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI). On 10 April 2013, we founded the maximum drift is about 194.4 m/s at 1430 UT to 1500 UT whereas the minimum drift is 111.1 m/s at 1330 UT to 1400 UT. The results illustrate that temporal variations of EPB zonal drift velocities are consistent with the neutral winds.

Zonal Drift Velocity of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles During Ascending Phase of 24th Solar Cycle Using All‐Sky Imager Over Kolhapur, India

AbstractThis paper reports the statistical analysis of zonal drift velocity of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) inferred from advanced optical technique (all‐sky imager) with OI 630.0‐nm airglow emission from January to April of 2011 to 2013. Over 143 nights of observations have been carried out using all‐sky imager over low‐latitude station Kolhapur (16.8°N, 74.2°E; 10.6°N dip latitude), out of which 58 nights showed signatures of EPBs. We study the hourly, monthly, and seasonal variation in zonal drift velocity of EPBs. Also, the magnetically disturbed nights (Ap > 18) are separately studied. It is observed that (a) the daily peak zonal drift velocity is seen to be positively correlated to corresponding daily averaged 10.7‐cm solar flux. (b) The zonal drift velocity is found to be larger in the equinox months than that of winter months. (c) During the disturbed nights the zonal drift velocity gets slower and one of the disturbed nights showed the latitudinal variation in zonal drift velocity during the development phase of EPBs before midnight hours. We suggest that this variation might be occurred due to the disturbance dynamo electric fields at low latitude, which reduces the EPBs' eastward velocity. (d) The zonal drift velocity of EPBs presented in this paper is in good agreement with the previous studies as well as the HWM‐07 model values.

Analysis of Neptune’s 2017 bright equatorial storm

We report the discovery of a large ( ∼ 8500 km diameter) infrared-bright storm at Neptune’s equator in June 2017. We tracked the storm over a period of 7 months with high-cadence infrared snapshot imaging, carried out on 14 nights at the 10 m Keck II telescope and 17 nights at the Shane 120 inch reflector at Lick Observatory. The cloud feature was larger and more persistent than any equatorial clouds seen before on Neptune, remaining intermittently active from at least 10 June to 31 December 2017. Our Keck and Lick observations were augmented by very high-cadence images from the amateur community, which permitted the determination of accurate drift rates for the cloud feature. Its zonal drift speed was variable from 10 June to at least 25 July, but remained a constant 237.4 ± 0.2 m s−1 from 30 September until at least 15 November. The pressure of the cloud top was determined from radiative transfer calculations to be 0.3-0.6 bar; this value remained constant over the course of the observations. Multiple cloud break-up events, in which a bright cloud band wrapped around Neptune’s equator, were observed over the course of our observations. No “dark spot” vortices were seen near the equator in HST imaging on 6 and 7 October. The size and pressure of the storm are consistent with moist convection or a planetary-scale wave as the energy source of convective upwelling, but more modeling is required to determine the driver of this equatorial disturbance as well as the triggers for and dynamics of the observed cloud break-up events.

On the Nocturnal Downward and Westward Equatorial Ionospheric Plasma Drifts During the 17 March 2015 Geomagnetic Storm

AbstractDuring quiet period, the nocturnal equatorial ionospheric plasma drifts eastward in the zonal direction and downward in the vertical direction. This quiet time drift pattern could be understood through dynamo processes in the nighttime equatorial ionosphere. The present case study reports the nocturnal simultaneous occurrence of the vertically downward and zonally westward plasma drifts over the Indian latitudes during the geomagnetic storm of 17 March 2015. After ~17:00 UT (~22:10 local time), the vertical plasma drift became downward and coincided with the westward zonal drift, a rarely observed feature of low latitude plasma drifts. The vertical drift turned upward after ~18:00 UT, while the zonal drift became eastward. We mainly emphasize here the distinct bipolar type variations of vertical and zonal plasma drifts observed around 18:00 UT. We explain the vertical plasma drift in terms of the competing effects between the storm time prompt penetration and disturbance dynamo electric fields. Whereas, the westward drift is attributed to the storm time local electrodynamical changes mainly through the disturbance dynamo field in addition to the vertical Pedersen current arising from the spatial (longitudinal) gradient of the field aligned Pedersen conductivity.

Characteristics of equatorial plasma bubbles observed by TEC map based on ground-based GNSS receivers over South America

Abstract. A ground-based network of GNSS receivers has been used to monitor equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) by mapping the total electron content (TEC map). The large coverage of the TEC map allowed us to monitor several EPBs simultaneously and get characteristics of the dynamics, extension and longitudinal distributions of the EPBs from the onset time until their disappearance. These characteristics were obtained by using TEC map analysis and the keogram technique. TEC map databases analyzed were for the period between November 2012 and January 2016. The zonal drift velocities of the EPBs showed a clear latitudinal gradient varying from 123 m s−1 at the Equator to 65 m s−1 for 35∘ S latitude. Consequently, observed EPBs are inclined against the geomagnetic field lines. Both zonal drift velocity and the inclination of the EPBs were compared to the thermospheric neutral wind, which showed good agreement. Moreover, the large two-dimensional coverage of TEC maps allowed us to study periodic EPBs with a wide longitudinal distance. The averaged values observed for the inter-bubble distances also presented a clear latitudinal gradient varying from 920 km at the Equator to 640 km at 30∘ S. The latitudinal gradient in the inter-bubble distances seems to be related to the difference in the zonal drift velocity of the EPB from the Equator to middle latitudes and to the difference in the westward movement of the terminator. On several occasions, the distances reached more than 2000 km. Inter-bubble distances greater than 1000 km have not been reported in the literature. Keywords. Ionosphere (equatorial ionosphere; ionospheric irregularities) – meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (thermospheric dynamics)

Unusual behavior of quiet-time zonal and vertical plasma drift velocities over Jicamarca during the recent extended solar minimum of 2008

Abstract. The influence of the recent deep and prolonged solar minimum on the daytime zonal and vertical plasma drift velocities during quiet time is investigated in this work. Analyzing the data obtained from incoherent scatter radar from Jicamarca (11.95° S, 76.87° W) we observe an anomalous behavior of the zonal plasma drift during June 2008 characterized by lower than usual daytime westward drift and its early afternoon reversal to eastward. As a case study the zonal drift observed on 24 June 2008 is modeled using a realistic low-latitude ionosphere simulated by the Sheffield University Plasmasphere-Ionosphere Model-INPE (SUPIM-INPE). The results show that an anomalously low zonal wind was mainly responsible for the observed anomalous behavior in the zonal drift. A comparative study of the vertical plasma drifts obtained from magnetometer data for some periods of maximum (2000–2002) and minimum solar activity (1998, 2008, 2010) phases reveal a considerable decrease on the E-region conductivity and the dynamo electric field during 2008. However, we believe that the contribution of these characteristics to the unusual behavior of the zonal plasma drift is significantly smaller than that arising from the anomalously low zonal wind. The SUPIM-INPE result of the critical frequency of the F layer (foF2) over Jicamarca suggested a lower radiation flux than that predicted by solar irradiance model (SOLAR2000) for June 2008.

Climatology and modeling of ionospheric scintillations and irregularity zonal drifts at the equatorial anomaly crest region

Abstract. In this study the climatology of ionospheric scintillations and the zonal drift velocities of scintillation-producing irregularities are depicted for a station located under the southern crest of the equatorial ionization anomaly. Then, the α − μ ionospheric fading model is used for the first- and second-order statistical characterization of amplitude scintillations. In the statistical analyzes, data are used from single-frequency GPS receivers acquired during ∼ 17 years (September 1997–November 2014) at Cachoeira Paulista (22.4° S; 45.0° W), Brazil. The results reveal that the nocturnal occurrence of scintillations follows the seasonal distribution of plasma bubble irregularities observed in the longitudinal sector of eastern South America. In addition to the solar cycle dependence, the results suggest that the occurrence climatology of scintillations is also modulated by the secular variation in the dip latitude of Cachoeira Paulista, since the maximum occurrence of scintillations during the peak of solar cycle 24 was ∼ 20 % lower than that observed during the maximum of solar cycle 23. The dynamics of the irregularities throughout a solar cycle, as investigated from the estimates of the mean zonal drift velocities, presented a good correlation with the EUV and F10.7 cm solar fluxes. Meanwhile, the seasonal behavior showed that the magnitude of the zonal drift velocities is larger during the December solstice months than during the equinoxes. In terms of modeling, the results for the α − μ distribution fit quite well with the experimental data and with the temporal characteristics of fading events independently of the solar activity level.